Sunday, 10 January 2010

Punt gunning

Punt gunners today usually propel themselves by sculling over the transom, but they often used to sneak up to their prey by paddling with table-tennis bats, as this reconstruction by, of all people, Royal Armouries, shows. Listen to the commentator list the huge number of birds that a professional wildfowler in Essex bagged in one month 130 years ago. Nowadays, not only are the birds getting rarer but it is impossible to let off such an enormous piece in any estuary without shooting a birdwatcher.
Thanks to Martin Corrick on the Home Built Boat Rally forum for the headsup on this one. He suggests that racing gun punts would be fun, but the winner might be the one that came in last.....